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Tallow
Tallow was a 'Holy Invigilator of D'rek'Deadhouse Landing, Dramatis Personae who had been assigned by the 'Synod of Temples' to not only assist the Temple of D'rek in Kartool City on Kartool Island during a major period of transition, but also to undertake a general investigation into the state of the Cult of D'rek - the 'Worm of Autumn'Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 2, US TPB p.27 - there.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 4, US TPB p.68/72 Tallow was reportedly originally from the Seven Cities area. In appearance: he was low, broad and heavily built; with a thick neck; a bullet-shaped head which was shaven; "thick fleshy lips"; and skin that had been deeply tanned by the sun. Red trimmings adorned the black robes that he wore - which were indicative of his rank. The Invigilator was described as giving the impression of intimidating authority,Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 4, US TPB p.68/73 being youthful, full of vitality and energy, and notably decisive in his actions.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 6, US TPB p.125-126 Those sensitive to such things observed that Tallow's magical aura was extremely unusual with a "troubling" coloration seemingly roiling with some unknown power.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 4, US TPB p.69/71/73 In Deadhouse Landing In D'rek's Temple in Kartool City, Invigilator Tallow was introduced to the high-ranking priest of D'rek, Tayschrenn, by the fatally ill High Priest and Demidrek, Ithell - whose upcoming death had required the presence of the Invigilator to oversee the Cult's choosing of a new Demidrek and the resulting period of transition. Tayschrenn was instructed by Ithell to give the Invigilator "every assistance" - to which Tayschrenn naturally agreed to do. Tallow, wanting a private word with Tayschrenn, the two left the Demidrek's private chamber and walked to a more secluded spot. The Invigilator then made it clear that he had learned a lot about Tayschrenn's history with the Kartool D'rek Cult and about Tayschrenn's extraordinarily powerful magical talent and his surpassing mastery of Telas. Out of the blue, as far as Tayschrenn was concerned, Tallow said that he knew that Tayschrenn was "conspiring" to become the new Demidrek upon Ithell's death - a charge that Tayschrenn thought ludicrous as he had no such plan. However, the Invigilator ordered Tayschrenn not to try to have anything to do with the coming transition. Telling Tayschrenn, "I will tolerate no interference", Tallow arrogantly strode off - leaving a puzzled Tayschrenn behind.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 4, US TPB p.72-73 A General Assembly having been called by the 'Council of Elders' of the Kartool Cult of D'rek in the Temple's Great Hall, the members of the Cult gathered en masse to hear what their Elders had to say to them. Lukathera-amil, speaking for the Council, announced that Invigilator Tallow had agreed to be temporary High Priest and Demidrek during the transition period following the death of Ithell, until the Council had chosen a permanent Demidrek. This arrangement was received with approval by nearly all of the Cult members. Tallow's new positions troubled Tayschrenn, who would have preferred that the Council of Elders had made an immediate appointment of someone who was a member of the Kartool Cult and not an outsider as was the Invigilator.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 6, US TPB p.124-126 It did not take long, however, for the situation in the Cult under Invigilator Tallow to become extremely worrisome and frightening. There were many cases of Cult members being exposed to: "determined interrogations"; sudden arrests and imprisonments; even unexplained disappearances. All evidently due to Tallow's actions. It soon became clear that Tallow was not interested in the actual welfare of the Cult, but, rather, in solidifying complete control over the Cult and the elimination of any of its members that he saw as potential rivals for "political power" over it - i.e., "rulership" of the Cult. Tallow, in particular, wanted to neutralize Tayschrenn's influence in the Cult which had been great under Ithell. Thus, Tayschrenn soon found himself arrested and locked up, awaiting trial for no legitimate reason except Invigilator Tallow's desire to eliminate him.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 8, US TPB p.158-161 Tayschrenn was finally brought to a trial that Tayschrenn eventually realized had been carefully scripted and choreographed and had been "rehearsed" - all details having been arranged beforehand. The judges, prosecutor, and witnesses had all been carefully chosen and coached. Witnesses who were friends or supporters of Tayschrenn and who had been unwilling to give fabricated or misleading negative testimony were forced to do so by various forms of "physical and emotional torture". Tallow was Tayschrenn's "true accuser", and it was he who had managed to engineer the sentencing of Tayschrenn to a 'Trial by Ordeal' in the largest of the Execution Pits, the Civic Pit, of Kartool City. The Invigilator had managed to eliminate a serious rival while keeping his "hands completely clean of any perceived conniving or manoeuvring".Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 10, US TPB p.200-209 Invigilator Tallow attended the 'Trial by Ordeal" of Tayschrenn. The seating at the Civic Pit was packed with people, and Tayschrenn reflected wryly to himself that the "good turnout" must be delighting Tallow. After the young priest had been totally engulfed by the flesh-eating vermin of the Pit, Tallow could only have concluded that he was finally well rid of Tayschrenn.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 14, US TPB p.273-276 Later, Tallow spoke, in his role as the new Demidrek, at a service at the Kartool Temple, exhorting the gathered D'rek Cult members that they "must return to the proper path...for the Cult had lost its way..." Interrupting him, however, was the completely unexpected reappearance of a live and unharmed Tayschrenn. Flabbergasted with astonishment, Tallow could only blurt out - variously - that this Tayschrenn was an impostor; that he was a blasphemer for avoiding D'rek's justice; that Tayschrenn was there to "suborn the Cult to his own ends..."; and, finally, that he was an apostate and that he must be destroyed. Hearing Tallow's words, the "entire body of Kartool's High Temple of D'rek hurled themselves upon Tayschrenn". While Tallow had been speaking, the Invigilator was stabbed in the back by a priestess, Silla Leansath. Silla was a close friend of Tayschrenn, and she had been one of the unwilling witnesses at Tayschrenn's trial who had been forced by Tallow - in a variety of ways - to give false and very damaging testimony against him. Tallow seemed able to shrug off any damage that the knife wound might have inflicted, apparently by calling on his magical powers to do so. Tayschrenn, seeing Tallow's aura thus strongly expressed, was finally able to identify the strange and troubling discoloration, which had previously mystified him. It was, in fact, the "stain of Chaos": this made it clear that whichever power Tallow was actually serving, it was definitely not D'rek.Deadhouse Landing, Chapter 16, US TPB p.323-325 Notes and references Category:Males Category:Priests and acolytes Category:Seven Cities natives Category:Mages Category:Chaos